From the Desk of Arnold Shortman
by Polkahotness
Summary: When Helga moves across state with her parents while opening "Big Bob's Cellphone Castle," Arnold is stuck behind regretting his decisions of breaking up with her in the first place. Could it be Arnold whose words bring them back together? Or the music he's secretly creating in her honor? Fun Shortaki fic inspired by the songs "Love Song" and "The Night We Met"
1. The Two-Year Anniversary

_With written word I discovered myself,_

 _It was with music that I allowed myself to soar._

 _~Lindsey Ann_

I never understood poetry all that well. I much preferred the simplicity in novels and books than that of the poetic word, but once added to music, all of the poetry in the world can make sense.

I discovered this in 8th grade; the year we were partnered up and had to write a song about Ebenezer Scrooge for our, "A Christmas Carol" project. Naturally, I was paired with Gerald (thank goodness seeing as he is the smarter poet between the two of us), and together we made a killing with our rap-meets-cool-jazz-song that earned us a well-deserved A with extra credit.

That was nearly 4 years ago now and my music-infused-poetry had come a long way since then.

"You don't have to scream and shout for your words to be heard." I sang as I plucked away at my keyboard inside my room while jotting down the rest of my lyrics just beside me on a blank stationary page that read, 'From the Desk of Arnold Shortman'— a gift from my mom just a year after said Ebenezer Scrooge project.

"Just your voice alone gives you away like a song bird." I nodded my head at the lyric and continued. "And I've got to shake all these feelings that I've given you today but let's not say we didn't try it one day, some day."

Setting the pen down, I reached up into the air to stretch my arms towards the sky and folded them to rest atop of my head like a picture frame. Then, in that same position, I leaned towards the right and left before dropping my hands to my sides and taking a deep inhale of breath.

Today was the two-year-anniversary of my breaking up with Helga.

Today was the two-year-anniversary of the dumbest decision of my life.

Sure, we were still friends and cyber-talked most nights, but since her parents had moved half-way across the state to open up 'Big Bob's Cellphone Castle' it had been tricky to talk and not show most of my regret.

Of course, Helga hadn't moved there the second we broke up, no, but they did move after the one-year-anniversary and I couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with Helga leaving Hillwood High and transferring to Starlight Academy.

I hated that that preppy school had her instead of me.

"Arnold!" My mom's voice rang from downstairs, along with Grandma's familiar old cow belle. "Supper's ready!"

"Coming, mom!" I hollered down before getting up to make the usual trudge down the attic steps towards the kitchen where my parents were 'discussing' the operation that was suppertime in the Sunset Arms Boarding House.

"I just don't see why we have to keep using this old cow belle to call everyone down for supper," Mom said while setting it down on the counter beside the refrigerator.

"The boarders are used to it," Dad responded while stirring and tasting the spaghetti sauce, followed by a slap of my mom's hand on his wrist in hopes at getting him to stop. "Why go and change things on them now?"

My mom sighed and reached over to rest her hand on his shoulder. "Miles, I know you miss your mom but it's been nearly 5 years since she passed. Maybe it's time we change things around a bit. You know, make the house more…homey."

Dad shook his head and gestured up towards the stairway. "And dad? How do you think that'll make him feel?"

"He'll understand," she said before beginning to set the table with dishes and cups. "He always does."

"But he misses her even more than I do, Stella," he said while crossing his arms shyly. "If it's anyone it would hurt, it's going to be him."

Mom sighed and nodded her head before returning to her place-setting. "Alright, but just consider it, okay? I just… I feel like I'm calling the Calvary or something."

Dad chuckled as he tasted the sauce one more time. "That's what mom used to say anyway."

Mom turned to see me standing in the doorway and offered me a smile. "Hey kiddo," she said before coming over to me and kissing the top of my head. "You ready for some homemade spaghetti?" She asked while dad came over to peek just above her shoulder at me.

"The sauce is delicious," he teased while she turned around and mock-hit him in his chest.

"I told you no more tasting!" she laughed while offering him a peck on his lips. "But thank you, I'll inform the cook."

It was odd to see my parents in the kitchen together, even though I'd been used to it since we found them in elementary school. They'd fit into the role of parenting so perfectly that it was almost as if I hadn't lived without them my entire life.

Almost.

My mom's cooking was excellent in comparison to Grandma's; especially in the latter years. She'd done so well raising me that when she started to take a turn for the worse and Mom was around, she took over the cooking instead of Grandma and she just never recovered enough to pick up those spoons or any kitchen utensil ever again— even if it was only to bang some pots around in lieu of her cowbell which always somehow got lost.

But my parents never knew all of that. They hadn't been around to see what it was like without them around, only my dad that is. And if dad wanted to keep Grandma's traditions in check, than I was totally fine with that.

It meant that she wasn't gone. It meant that things were still normal, somehow, and with wishful thinking I could picture her here with Grandpa and my parents.

And Helga. Just like when she used to come over while we were dating. In the 3 years we'd dated, she must have become Grandma's best friend. Maybe _that's_ why she moved.

 _Who are you kidding, Arnold,_ my thoughts were quick to cut in, _Grandma had nothing to do with this. She died long before you went and broke both Helga and your own hearts._

I shook my head as if to clear the etch-a-sketch in my head. _Only took yourself two years to figure that out, genius._

But two years was nothing in the great scheme of things and as soon as supper was over, I was going to talk to Helga. I'd just have to see if the spaghetti Mom made would have enough of a kick to give me the nerve to do so.

* * *

"So how was Shortman a'la king tonight?" Helga asked while scarfing a bowl of spaghetti-o's in front of her webcam.

"Sorry, how was what?" I asked mid-chuckle.

"Dinner, wise-guy," she retorted while gesturing towards her own dinner for the night. "Like this only," she swallowed, "better."

Laughing again, I shook my head and smirked, "Spaghetti, oddly enough. So like yours only…"

It was her time to laugh. "Better. The word your looking for is better."

"Different," I explained, though she wasn't buying it. "The house could use some of your laughter again, you know," I blurted out before I could take the words back and put my thoughts out there more…integrated to the conversation.

Silence overflowed the speakers of my computer. I tried with all my might to think of something, anything to say, but came up with nothing instead.

So the sound of silence continued on.

"You know, Shortman," Helga finally said to break the ice, "Prep school sucks."

I sighed. _She's changing the subject._

"Yeah, yeah, I bet. Hillwood isn't much better, though."

"Better than here," she retorted, my scoff not helping the cause.

"I think I'm prepared to fight you on that."

Helga rolled her eyes, "Through a computer screen, huh? And by the way, what makes you think you could take on old Betsy and the five avengers? Your freakish head?"

"Nah, nah," I said trying to sound casual, "just my wicked sense of humor."

"Which," she added, "isn't exactly your forte, now is it, football-head?"

And just like that she shut me up, not because she was right, which she was, but because I didn't have a witty comeback— only proving her point further.

"That's what I thought," she said before setting her empty bowl aside and leaning back in her computer chair to watch me from her side of the world.

"There are things you don't know about me, though," I tried as she cocked a brow with a sheepish grin.

"Oh is that so, Arnoldo?" She replied using her fighting tone. "Cause I'm fairy sure I know most everything that goes inside that pretty giant head of yours."

I couldn't help the butterflies that went through my stomach like wild rabid rats eating away at my insides. I wanted her back so badly, but that wasn't just the sort of thing you say right out into the open.

Especially not something you say over a video chat at 9 o'clock at night.

"'Spose you're right," I finally said with the color draining from my face. "Seeing as you dated me and all."

"Don't forget that there past tense, smart guy," her words were laced with acidity and I couldn't fight the dry mouth lingering on my tongue.

She was right and I couldn't dispute that. We _did_ date, and as much as I wanted to resume so, it was really up to Helga and I was sure she wouldn't want anything to do with me given her distance.

Given her rather extreme distance, that is.

"Well I gotta get going on homework," Helga said quickly while typing on her keyboard quickly; a pop up showing on my computer from her message. "We'll talk later."

Boop.

The sound of a finalized video chat.

I sighed and pursed my lips before nodding, then went through to the chat only to see her message staring back at me.

 **Pink_Bow87:** Roommate just got in. Tomorrow. Same time.

Three sentences. Three sentences that meant hope and another shot.

Another shot at getting Helga back, somehow.

* * *

"You've been kicking it with those beats I sent you the other night?" Gerald asked as we wandered the halls killing time before our next class.

I shook my head, my eyes cast downward on the floor I was walking on. "Nah, Gerald I've been, uh, I've been—"

"Talking to Helga again, huh?" He said with knowledge. If it was anyone who knew me better than Helga, it was Gerald.

"Uh, yeah, yeah I was."

"Mm mm MM, man," he said with his usual enthusiasm. "Why'd you go breaking up with her if you were gonna get all hung up over this in the end?"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head while staring down at my feet as we came to a stop just outside our door for Science. "I didn't realize she'd… she'd—"

"Have such a hold on that big ol' softy heart of yours?" He finished for me yet again and I looked up to glance at him with a deadpan stare.

"Would you stop doing that already?" I exclaimed as we entered the classroom and Gerald laughed while slapping a hand on my far shoulder and squeezing it once.

"Finish your sentences? C'mon man, I've been doing this for years, don't stop me now." We made our way to our seats across the room from each other. As we set our bags down, he chuckled to himself before calling out in my direction, "And besides, Arnold, who else is gonna help you figure yourself out, huh?"

He had a point.

* * *

"If I found you, how would you react? If you found me, would you take me back?" I sighed and scribbled out the words before trying again. "If I found you, would you, could you…ugh!" I tossed the pad of paper on the floor beside the keyboard and frowned at the keys staring back at me.

"Why can't you be easier, huh?" I asked the inanimate object getting no response back, as I'd expected.

It wasn't that writing was all that difficult anymore but it was getting my feelings out that caused a train wreck inside my head that I just couldn't avoid. It was as if all the words jumbled themselves together into one long sentence of questions— if I could get her back, if I could find her, if she would take me back. All the would've, could've, should've's came crawling into my mind and it seemed the only thing I could do anymore was doddle a couple melodies out every once in a while.

I didn't know how Helga did it. She could tap into her emotions so easily and write poems in a way no other human could, especially me.

After all, it was that talent alone that landed her in that fancy academy she was going to now, seeing as Bob wasn't willing for anything more than public school. I wondered what her aversion to it was; wondered why she would choose an all-girls school over some easy public place with people everywhere she could annoy and then fall in love with until she could leave again and leave them wondering what to do without her insults in their life.

Maybe I was bitter. Maybe the music wasn't coming out of me because I'd left all my feelings with Helga when she left. There were too many maybes and so many whys that I couldn't answer my head felt so big it might explode.

Before long, I reached out for the pad of paper and scribbled the questions coming to my mind. _If I found you, would you, could you come back to me? If I lost you once, couldn't you return to me? If I found that the solitude was anything but cold and rude, would you at least consider coming back to me?_

I stared down at the words I'd written and smiled.

 _Now_ that's _how you get Helga back, smart guy,_ I could almost hear her saying inside my head.

And that was just what I was going to do.

* * *

 _ **Hey everybody! Thanks for checking out my ficlet! this story was inspired by my good friend Arnold's Love and the song "Love Song" by Sara Barellis. As i was writing, i discovered that this was a bigger story than a single oneshot could handle and here we are! Also, the song, "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron inspired me endlessly in the writing process.**_

 _ **Please review and stay tuned for more!**_


	2. The Hairbrained Idea

"HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!"

" _I hate that stupid alarm clock I mean, what are you, 10?"_

 _I rolled over to shut the clock off and smirked while tucking a strand of Helga's hair behind her ear. "Only at heart."_

" _Ha!" She laughed while sitting up in bed and stretching her long arms high into the air. "Well, if THAT wasn't cheesy, ya cheeseball."_

 _I pushed myself up to sit on my knees and kiss her neck once with a smile on my lips. "it's what I do best, isn't it?"_

 _Her shoulders scrunched with her laugh before she turned around and pecked me on my lips; her warmth radiating from her to inside and throughout my body_.

I sat up and shut the alarm off then rubbed my eyes while remaining flat on my empty bed. Lifelessly, I reached over and let my arm fall through the air to land on the vacant space beside me.

" _How long until your parents figure out I've been sneaking in here? Few more months?"_

 _I laughed and shook my head. "Even if they did, I doubt they'd turn you away I mean, you do practically live here."_

 _Smirking, she reached to the floor and grabbed her skinny jeans to slide them onto her perfectly slim figure. "And if they knew I stole your sweet football-headed innocence?"_

Sitting up, I sighed dramatically before throwing the covers off of myself in pursuit of clothing for the day.

 _I rolled my eyes and flipped the covers off of my body and laughed, "Right, because I'm sure that's the conversation you are wanting to have with my parents."_

 _Helga reached over to pick up the pillow she'd slept on and smacked me with force in the face with it before laughing with jest at my shocked expression. "The thought of having the birds and the bees talk with your parents is just about as horrifying as the idea of me having it with my_ own _parents, dorkwad."_

Pulling my pants on, I stared at the perfect pillow; free from flaws of sleeping on it as nobody had the night before— not like I was used to.

" _That's exactly what I thought,_ Miss _Pataki," I said with a wry smile while standing up from the bed to head towards my drawers with my pants folded neatly inside._

I glanced in my drawer full of shirts and frowned at the choices sitting before me. Nothing looked intriguing to wear and nothing felt right either. It was as if the world was in a green-tinted lens I couldn't remove from my eyes. Choosing randomly, I pulled a navy-blue shirt from the collection and opened it up to pull over my body.

Slowly, I closed the drawer before turning to face my mirror and my own body once again for another new day.

But I wasn't in a hurry. I was in no hurry at all, today.

 _As if trying to leave my room with great speed, she rushed to pull her shirt on followed by her socks and shoes. Once getting my jeans on, I stood and watched her while she hastily pulled her hair into a messy bun to rest on top of her head._

" _Wow," I said impressed, "that's the fastest I've seen you move without caffeine in years."_

 _Chuckeling to herself, she turned to face me with her hands resting in fists on her hips. "Welp football-face, this has been nice and all but I've got somewhere to be."_

 _Raising my brow in surprise, I stared at her with slightly squinted eyes. "You do now?"_

" _Sure do. Big plans. I'm picking someone up, actually."_

" _Oh," I deadpanned while reaching for my shirt and slipping it over my head to rest loosely on my body. "Guess I'll be seeing you?"_

" _Sure will, Arnoldo," she said with a grin, wink, and salute before climbing up the ladder and out of my sky-window and my sight completely._

 _It must have taken only minutes before the doorbell rang and I hurried to put on my socks and shoes before rushing down the steps with backpack in tow. "I'm late, I'm late! Gerald's already here!" I hollered out to the kitchen where Mom was making eggs for dad and probably myself._

" _But it's only 7:30, honey, why don't you both stay and eat?"_

Taking each step with sloth-like movements, I made my way downstairs to where my mom was making bacon and fresh egg-bake that wafted through the house like fresh food ready to be devoured.

But I had much more than food on my mind.

 _I opened the door and took a deep breath before sighing it out followed by low laughter only one person can get out of me._

" _We'd love to Stella," Helga said from the doorway with a big smile planted on her face, "but Arnold and I here have some plans to attend to before first period. Of the homework kind of course."_

 _I furrowed my brow at her as she winked at me and my mom hollered back, "No problem, Helga. You two have fun but be on time, alright?"_

" _Naturally," she said before yanking me out of the doorway entirely and wrapping her arms around me to kiss my lips softly the moment I shut the door._

Closing the door behind me after saying goodbye to most everybody that was up, I took each step down the stoop one at a time while trying to avoid the slew of animals racing me to the sidewalk and beyond.

 _Helga had a pep in her step as she pulled apart from me. "Surprised?"_

 _I laughed and nodded my head while taking her hand in mine and lacing our fingers together tightly. "Very. And these studious plans of yours?"_

 _Helga rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Complete crap. I figured we'd just walk to school and talk or something. If that's cool with you, kiddo."_

 _I bumped her shoulder with mine at the mention of my parents' nickname for me and agreed. "Very cool with me, but we aren't skipping first period again to stop for doughnuts this time, okay?"_

" _Yeah, yeah ya party pooper, no doughnut runs. But you gotta admit," she said with slight tease, "hell of an adrenaline rush for you, Shortman. What with that astounding attendance of yours."_

 _I smirked and sighed. "Make fun all you want but some of us can't rely on looks and personality."_

I forced the memories away as I approached the bus stop nearest to my house and stood outside with the rest of the soon-to-be riders as well. Most days I just ride in with Gerald but seeing as he had early practice for the upcoming basketball game, the bus was my next best option.

Next ideal would be Helga, had she not moved.

Had I not broken up with her for the perfect football-headed idiot reasoning I had, that is.

But to be fair, it hadn't all been my fault. I may have said the words and done the breaking up, but I knew Helga wasn't as happy as she had imagined she'd be with me. One look in her eyes told me everything and I wasn't giving her all she deserved.

" _You don't even know what you're talking about!" She argued while I shook my head in protest._

"I _don't know what I'm talking about? Think about it, Helga! I don't even make you happy anymore!" I said loud enough for the next block over to hear._

" _So you decide to tell me I love you too much and that's a problem for you, huh?" She retorted while zipping her coat up further than she needed. "More or less NOW? While we're just on the street? Talking?"_

" _Well what better time works for you? When can I pencil in my feelings?" I said with heavy sarcasm; only setting Helga off more._

" _Oh criminy! Like I have some kind of LIFE outside of you—"_

" _See THAT'S what I'm talking about!" I exclaimed while she held back behind where we'd walked._

" _Arnold," her tone changed, "Arnold, wait." She was anxious now and scared; a feeling I wasn't used to hearing from Helga's naturally authoritative voice. "Arnold please, I, I didn't mean it like that."_

" _No?" I asked while turning around to walk back towards her. "Because I think it made my point more clear. I'm holding you back, Helga! Don't you see that?"_

" _See that I'd be miserable without you, yes, I do see. It's YOU that isn't seeing that this, completely hairbrained idea you have up in that massive skull of yours is serious bullshit!" She began shaking her head rapidly with her hands up by her head, fingers splayed. "You, you…. Gerald had to have BRAINwashed you or something I mean seriously!"_

" _Gerald?" I asked while now officially t-ed off. "You think this is about_ Gerald? _"_

" _Well what other reasoning do I have for you loving me yesterday and now wanting to be without me today? I certainly didn't change my mind in 24 hours but YOU football-for-brains apparently did!"_

" _If you say so," I said back calmly while turning around and walking back in the direction we were headed; my house._

" _If I say so, huh. More like if_ you _say so."_

" _Fine! Fine, Helga. You want me to break up with you? Then I will."_

" _Fine!"_

" _Fine!" I repeated with clenched fists. "Fine it is. Consider us over. Consider us—" I threw my hands out at my sides in surrender "—broken up."_

I never anticipated it would be forever. I thought she'd come back to me later in the day and we'd make up and be just fine all over again.

But she never did.

And I never did.

It stayed that way all through the next year until she moved; until she called me on messenger asking to be 'friends.'

" _It's just so lame-brain over here," she said while sighing and resting her hand in her palm as she looked at me through her screen. "All girls and all super annoying."_

" _So why would you want to go there?" I asked, tossing a chip into my mouth as I did so._

" _To get away. I mean, granted, I still have to go home every day and deal with Bob and Miriam, but at least Olga is all settled down with her husband and whatnot so being here isn't so bad."_

" _Isn't so bad, huh?" I asked while leaning forward slightly as if I could get closer to her._

" _Nope. And I'm here on full ride from the essay I wrote so Bob doesn't have to send out a single check. Not like he ever would, anyway."_

 _I glanced over at my clock in the corner of my screen and sighed. "So what made you want to talk to me anyway?"_

 _Her eyes shifted slightly before they settled on me again and she shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea to pass time."_

" _What?" I wondered aloud. "You don't talk to me for nearly two years and now we're friends again?"_

 _She seemed to ponder this for a minute as if deciding whether or not it was actually a good idea to be friends or not. With a solid shake of her head, she definitively said, "Why the hell not? I still care about you, ya know, dingus."_

And that was all it took for me to get sucked back in. It was every night we talked, even about the dumbest things— how her school was going and how things were back at home. We talked about Phoebe and Gerald and even some of the things I never anticipated talking about again. Like love.

Never about our own love of course.

" _Arnold," she said seriously; a sudden switch of tone in our conversation, "you believe in love, don't you?"_

" _I'd hope you know that I do," I responded earnestly._

" _Criminy, it's just a question."_

" _Well do_ you _? Believe in love, that is?" I countered while Helga shifted uncomfortably onscreen._

" _Of course I do, weirdo," she said with bitterness in her voice. "All the great writers write about love."_

" _Yes, they do," I agreed and then proceeded with caution. "But that's not the question, now is it?"_

 _Helga muttered something I couldn't quite make out before finally sighing and giving me a solid answer. "I used to," she said solemnly, "I'd like to think that I still do somewhere."_

" _Somewhere?" I questioned, not understanding where she was going with her answer._

 _Helga nodded her head slowly as if digesting something I hadn't said but should have or something I knew nothing of completely._

 _It was hard to tell with Helga._

" _Yeah like somewhere I can learn to…forgive and-and forget."_

" _Forget," I repeated in a deadpan tone. "Like forget about us? Or forget about love?"_

 _She shrugged her shoulders and glanced around herself as if someone was listening to what she was going to say next. "I guess both maybe. Love mostly."_

 _I sighed and looked down at my feet which were resting on the carpeted floor beneath me. "Oh," I managed without saying the words I was dying to say aloud._ Forget about us? Forget about the love we shared? Forget about the love I still have but am too chicken to say?

 _Instead, I changed the subject like the brilliant genius that I am._

" _You still writing poetry?"_

On occasion, she'd send over poetry for me to read and give opinions on, even if I didn't understand most of it. The ones I did understand, however, seemed to read to me like she wasn't over everything that we had and that only made the feelings I was harboring come up to the surface. Feelings of regret and anger at everything I'd messed up fueled my every waking day and it wasn't long before I was writing again too and even putting music to the things I'd written. Writing all my feelings out about Helga and my mistakes seemed to pull out all my anger and frustration and into beautiful things even I didn't know I was capable of.

It was like with writing about my feelings, I was discovering myself and music all over again, but through different ears and eyes. Writing for Ebenezer Scrooge is one thing, but writing for yourself is a whole other ballgame.

Not that Helga knew any of that.

If Helga knew I was secretly writing break-up songs about her behind her back, well, let's just say I'm sure it wouldn't end well on my behalf.

Which was mostly why my next smart idea really sounded insane.

"Arnold," Gerald said once I'd told him my plan, "Are you insane?"

"Probably," I responded before shaking my head and settling on, "maybe."

"I mean, you are out of your MIND writing a song for Pataki."

I frowned and turned to look at him. "Almost as out of mind I was for dating her back then, huh." It was a statement; one that shut him up almost entirely.

Once again, if it was anyone who knew me better than Helga, it was Gerald and he knew how much she meant to me, bully and all.

"Fine, I'll help," he agreed begrudgingly. "But on one condition."

I raised a brow and crossed my arms. "And what's that?"

"She doesn't get to know I helped you, you got it? Because helping you is helping her and I want none of that, brother. Our frenemy-ship has sailed way too far for me to go backtracking all to help Pataki."

* * *

 _Helga flipped through pages of her book from the couch in my room. Out of nowhere, she glanced over her shoulder to face me at my keyboard. "You know," she said, "I always was jealous you were so musically inclined."_

 _I smirked to myself while continuing to flit my fingers across the keys. "Right, cause the school musical was nothing."_

 _Closing her book loudly, she sighed and rolled over to lie on her back. "So I can sing, big whoop."_

" _You can sing excellently, might I add," I said while switching to another set of chords for a different tone of music._

" _Meh. Excellent for Hillwood, maybe, but out in the real world I'm slop." Her words came out careless and I stopped playing for a moment to turn and face her from where she lay._

" _You aren't slop. If you wanted to, you could be an actress. You were so good in that rendition of 'Rats' we did. What did you sing again? That memory song?"_

 _She laughed and shook her head. "Yeah but the whole thing was a joke. I mean fursuits? Really? I practically died from heat stroke up there under all those lights."_

" _So you'd never try for it out in the 'real world?'" I asked with heavy emphasis._

 _Helga sat up from the couch, "Are you kidding?" She asked without giving me time to answer. "Look, the applause was nice and I liked the feeling and all, but I'm not about to go moving to the city just so I can try and make it as a B-list actor. You know how much you have to give up for a job like that? Even just a SHOT at a job like that?"_

 _I shrugged my shoulders and she pointed out to me as if I'd said something grand. "Exactly. That's my point. I'd much rather be a writer."_

" _But isn't writing sort of the same deal? With publishers and all trying to give you that one_ shot _?"_

" _Eh," Helga said as if it was the furthest thought from her mind. "See the difference with writing is I KNOW I've got what it takes to make it in_ that _business."_

" _What's the difference?"_

 _She moved her book to the side table next to my phone and lifted her legs to sit pretzel-style on the couch. "The difference is acting is so one-sided. All you do is lose yourself to be somebody else. Writing though," she paused as if giving it its own moment of silence, "writing allows you to be yourself AND other people. It opens up an entire other world for the writer and for just a moment you can escape into your own world. And the worlds are ENDLESS. Actors are a dime-a-dozen but to be a writer, a good writer, you have to have the ideas to back up your art. And ideas are what formed this very nation, true story."_

 _I shrugged and turned around to begin playing on the keys once more. "Well, I can't fight you there."_

"Just play what you've got," Gerald coaxed as I stared at the keys below me; memories flooding me once again. "I'm not gonna judge."

"Yes you are," I said a little angrier than I'd intended. "This is Helga we're talking about."

"Mmhmm. Helga G. Pataki. And I'm the crazy one helping you but I can't HELP you if you don't SHOW me what you've got, man."

Reluctantly, I handed him the lyrics I'd written out only a day ago and he nodded his head as he read them.

"Not bad," he commented with a nod of his head and a surprised look on his face. "I didn't know you had all this in ya, Arnold. What gives?"

"Well you know now," I said before playing a few random notes on the board. "I was thinking for the chorus—"

"Wait- so you DO have music already?" He asked with disappointment laced in his tone.

"Only for some parts, but I need a way to tie it altogether."

Gerald paused for a moment before pointing to a spot on the pad of paper. "You could rap it."

I laughed. "Gerald, I am NOT rapping. I-I don't rap. YOU rap. I play. And sometimes sing."

"Not like RAP rap it, Arnold," he said while sitting down on the floor in the beanbag chair I'd received as a Christmas present last year. "Helga's into all that performing poetry mumbo-jumbo, isn't she?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Soooo," he said elongating the word, "you do it poetry slam style. Show her how you feel by slamming the hell out of those words."

"And recording it." I said more than asked.

"Right."

"And send it to her."

"Man, do I gotta hit the button for you and everything? I mean why does she think you're missing your webchat tonight anyway?"

I played a series of notes before dropping my hands from the piano altogether. "English project."

"That's one way to lie," he commented before leaning over to me and resting his elbows on his knees. "Look, Arnold, you can't lie. You suck at it. You have to send this puppy over TOMORROW. Stat."

"Tomorrow? As in, _tomorrow_ tomorrow?" I panicked, suddenly feeling warmth spreading all over my body.

"You heard me. We record now, send later and then worry about it after."

I shook my head in protest. "No, Gerald, what if the first take or seven aren't any good? And what if I butcher the slamming poetry part?"

"You won't, man. I won't let you. You wanna know why?"

Humoring him, I gave into his question. "Why?"

"Because with a few beats and some tweaking, you got a hit on your hands, Arnold. This song is…. It's real. And as much as I hate to say this, Helga _gets_ real, you know?" He laughed almost to himself. "I mean, look at her family, man. She gets all these weird feelings you have and she'll understand."

"From across the state? She'd want to date me from that far? Really?"

Gerald shrugged and leaned back into the beanbag. "I dunno, man, but we are graduating this year so I say it's worth the shot isn't it?"

* * *

 _ **Thanks again for your reviews and unending support. thank you again to Arnold's Love for this excellent idea and thank you for continuing to read.  
see you at the next and last chapter!  
**_

 _ **Please review!**_

 _ **-Polka**_


	3. The Last Ditch Effort

I sat on a foldout chair on the roof; my eyes blending to that of the city lights which spread like wildfire among the skyline. It had been only hours since Gerald left the house and we had finished recording my 'love song' as he so eloquently put it, and I couldn't seem to get the idea of sending my mp3 to Helga.

Would she like it? Would she be offended at my song? Would she ever talk to me again? And most of all, would it work?

I knew it was silly to worry about something as trivial as a song, but I also knew that this was my best shot at fixing the relationship I ruined years ago.

But there was something wrong about simply sending her the song. I wanted to show her who I was and how I felt and an mp3 file just didn't seem personal enough to me.

Was this all a big mistake? Was I being foolish to think this could work? Would this only be another regret on the corkboard of my life?

Helga was too hard to peg. Ever since I'd known her, I could never quite read who she was or what inane thing she'd do next. She was unpredictable and while sometimes it made life pretty difficult, it was one of the things that I loved about her. It was who she was and I loved everything about Helga.

It just took me far too long to realize just how big of a mistake I had made 2 years ago; long before she moved away and out of my life the way I longed for her to be in once more.

With a sigh, I stood up from where I was seated and made my way to the opening of my sky window which led to my room, and slipped into the house with ease like I'd done so many times before. It was calming for me to look out at the city from afar; one of the many things Helga had opened my eyes to in our years of dating.

" _I know it's kinda lame," Helga said while sitting down on the blanket I'd provided us with, "but there's something about the city lights that, I don't know, calms me."_

" _Calms you…how?" I asked while taking my seat beside her and giving her a kiss on the cheek as she snuggled into me._

" _I don't know it's like, each one of those lights," she said while gesturing to the entire city, "is a life. Each one is somebody else I don't know with their own problems and life situations that I don't know, and the feeling of that, knowing all that, it somehow makes all my problems and issues all the more small and manageable_."

" _Hmm," I hummed in acknowledgement, "I guess I never looked at it like that before."_

The knock on my door woke me from my memories and I jumped from the ladder onto my bed to open up a random book I pretended to read from my bookshelf. "Come in," I hollered, knowing already it wasn't Grandpa or he'd just bust in.

"Hey sport," my dad greeted me and I smiled in response. "Reading? Really?"

I chuckled and shook my head while closing the book and setting it back on the bookshelf where I'd found it. "How'd you know?"

He laughed and walked to sit beside me on the bed. "Because I used to do the same thing. Though dad didn't usually knock."

"Yeah," I agreed with a smile, "he has a habit of that, doesn't he?"

"He sure does. Hey, listen, is something going on with you lately?" He asked at random while my thoughts flew into a flurry. "You seem really…down."

"Concentrated," I corrected with a few nods and a shrug. "Just had a lot on my mind I guess." Which was true— I _did_ have a lot on my mind. A lot of Helga G. Pataki, that is.

"Should your mother and I be worried?" he then asked with a furrow of his brow and I shook my head quickly to get him off of some scary path he was headed down in terms of worrying.

"No," I pointed up towards the sky window. "I was just up there now and honestly I was thinking of working on some…some…" I struggled to find an excuse as lying isn't quite my forte, but my dad beat me to it.

"Music, huh?" He finished my sentence for me and I offered a small grin and then sighed.

"How is it you know me so well when you were gone for so long?" I blurted out, immediately regretting it.

But dad didn't falter. Instead, he smiled and slung an arm around my shoulder to pull me into him in a half-sided hug. "Because I was something like you growing up myself. I guess we Shortmans have a genetic disposition."

"Of screwing things up?" I blurted out again and began to silently curse out my mouth for not listening to my brain.

"Ahha!" Dad exclaimed with a point of his finger. "See? I knew something was up but your mom didn't believe me. What's going on, kiddo? Tell your old man so I don't have to go on a guessing spree."

I sighed knowing the jig was up and looked down at my fingers which I was playing with in my lap. "Helga," was all I said and apparently all I had to say at that.

"You wish you hadn't broken up with her, don't you?"

"Am I really that predictable?" I was quick to question before my dad furrowed his brow and I explained. "Gerald has been doing it to me all week."

"English assignment that tolling on your memories?"

I shook my head while keeping my eyes fixated on my fingers. "We've sort of been talking a lot lately and I guess it just really proved to me that I was…wrong," I finally admitted; the weight of the world lowering just a bit at my confession.

"Hmm. Teenage troubles got you down. But hey- you're graduating next year. You ever think that maybe you'll find somebody else out there? Somewhere different than Hillwood?"

"Helga's city is different," I murmured before blinking a few times and finally raising my head to face my dad. "I guess I'm not interested in other people in other cities."

"So you love her then," he stated rather than asked and I nodded my head while my lips pursed into a thin line on my face.

"Well Arnold," he started again before pushing himself up by his knees to stand before me, "what plan have you and Gerald cooked up to get her back? I'm guessing it involves music."

Blood rushed to my cheeks and I nodded my head again; silence somehow overcoming my desire to speak up. Dad copied my motions with his hands on his hips before smiling and reaching out to rest a hand on my shoulder. "One day son, this will all just be part of your story— your story of this life. Just make sure you do one hell of a number to get her back, will ya? We always did like having Helga here in the house."

I chuckled and agreed. "Yeah, I know grandma would be happy to see her back here again, no matter where she is up there."

"Probably causing ruckus and multiple celebrations. I wouldn't worry much about your grandma Gertie. She's a tough lady and so are you." He squeezed my shoulder, "I know this because, like I said, genetic disposition. You have it in your blood, Arnold."

With that, he gave me a cheesy grin before heading towards the door of my room and exiting, then stopping as if he forgot to say something. "Just… be careful okay? Your mom and I, well, we don't want you to get hurt."

Confidently, I spoke up at last. "I won't dad. I got this."

"Good to hear," he responded before turning around to say over his shoulder, "Go get her champ!" before closing the door behind him to leave me alone once again.

Alone to finish my song for Helga.

* * *

I adjusted my laptop's computer screen so the built-in webcam could get a better angle of my state-of-the-art keyboard, which I'd moved just for the occasion.

MP3 wasn't the way to go, that was one thing I knew for sure. My entire night's sleep had convinced me of that with all the tossing and turning I did. It was when I woke up that I knew just what I was going to do to win Helga back.

I was going to up the ante, Arnold Shortman style. I was going to make an MP4— a video of my song that I'd written just for her.

Shakily, I clicked on the record button and made my way to the keyboard with hesitant fingers and nervous breath.

Deeply, I inhaled and then let my fingers begin conversation with the keys and the music flowing through my fingers.

* * *

I stared at the computer screen with my eyes fixated on the icon for my recently recorded video. This was the moment I'd been waiting for; the moment I'd also been dreading all day at school and every minute until 8 o'clock when I'd finally see Helga.

When I'd finally tell her how I felt.

Well, sang it at least.

But love makes you do crazy things. One minute you're hurting so bad you feel like your heart could be ripped out and you wouldn't feel a thing, the next minute you're over the moon and flying with the stars and asteroids alike. It's those moon times that make it all worthwhile; so worthwhile that you're willing to go through that pain just to make it to the moon and back.

And let me tell you, I'd been to the moon and being back wasn't quite so much fun. I lived for that high of being with Helga again, even if it meant going through hell and probable embarrassment. And posting this song felt like hell so I could only hope to be with the moon if all things went according to plan.

Helga was none the wiser.

"So how's that English assignment been going?" She asked as I escaped from my trance and shrugged.

"I uh, I actually wanted you to check it out for me."

"Oh really?" She inquired, now suddenly interested. "You're looking for free help of my expertise?"

I chuckled nervously, sweat beginning to drip down the back of my neck. "Yes, but only if you want to."

Helga laughed with a shake of her head as if in disbelief. "Oh no no no, you don't get me that excited to read into your crazy-shaped brain just to cut me off again. Send it."

"It's not really a reading sort of assignment," I started with anxiety in my voice as I cracked on the last word.

"A video presentation?" She asked before laughing and nodding her head. "Alright, alright. I think I can handle a few minutes of whatever you've made. What's the theme?"

"Th-theme?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said with irritation, "the _theme._ You know, what you're going to be _graded_ on?"

"Well," I cleared my throat before going on, "that's the thing, see, I kinda have to give you some uh… some insight."

"Okay…" she said, her voice trailing off as she waited for my explanation.

An explanation that I didn't have.

"It's uh," I reached up to rub at the back of my neck, my giveaway sign for my truest of nervousness. "See it's not really, well not technically—"

"Get on with it, would ya football-head? You're killing me over here of boredom." Her eyes glared at me through the camera and I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks in reaction to her eyes. They were so blue today and seeping into my soul with her cold look.

I swallowed hard.

"It's not an assignment. Not really."

"So what you're sending me is something you've made of your own free will?" She asked and I couldn't quite figure out her angle in all her questions.

"Let's call it extra credit, but yes, it's of my own free will."

Helga leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms precariously over her chest. "Oh, this is gonna be good."

 _God, I hope so,_ I thought while preparing my computer to send over the file I'd worked on with all my heart and soul.

It was a big risk I was taking, and I wasn't sure if I was making the right move or a really wrong one.

But what the hell, right? Why not just give it a shot?

With bated breath, I hovered my mouse over the icon I'd made to easily send the file over through the video messenger and with the click of a button, I sent it over despite my biggest urges telling me not to.

It was too late to turn back now.

"Oh," Helga said while leaning back towards her computer. "You already sent it."

"Yeah…? And?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I just thought I'd have to do a little coaxing to get it out of you, that's all."

"Welp, not today, Miss Pataki," I boldly said.

"Okay well hang on, I'm going to watch this," she said and before I could stop her, she shut me off to watch the video I'd hoped I'd get to watch with her.

Instead, I imagined each line in detail the way I'd done it nearly a thousand times.

The beat Gerald and I worked on starts off the song, my fingers wildly playing the beat each note at a time on the light up keys on my keyboard. Following that, I used my other hand to begin the melody; a few notes that go well together in a melancholy sort of way before my words came in to cut through the music.

I'm a little insecure

Just a little sort of mess

I am lost

I am missing

But I'm still fully dressed

Walking down an empty street

Inside the town that is my mind

I search and search yet everywhere

It's you I just can't find.

I played a few more notes before unleashing the beats again to begin the chorus.

If I found you, would you, could you, come back to me? If I lost you once couldn't you return to me? If I found that the solitude was anything but cold and rude would you at least consider coming back…to…me?

I could nearly hear myself playing the music as I imagined the video I'd edited for hours now playing in front of Helga at this very moment.

We were silly

Only children then

Who would think

We'd understand

What love could mean

The joy it'd bring

If you only knew that I could write

And I knew you could sing, then

The chorus then flows through the song yet again like cool rain on a hot day. I can hear it as it dances through her speakers and grazes into her ears. I can hear the transition as the music changes to that of the bridge; the lines I'd worked on longest in the entire song.

And I know I was stupid, I know I was wrong but if you'd just sit down and listen to the words inside this song you would know that I mean every word that passed my lips until you heard I want you back, so,

The song then transitions back to the chorus twice through, my shaky singing voice now completely into the song as I lost myself in the music on Helga's computer screen. I imagined it all the way through, even past me walking back up to the computer to stop the recording but minutes passed without a single word from Helga and I began to worry.

Had I done the right thing? Was it smart of me to send all of my feelings over to her without her asking or knowledge of any of my skills in songwriting, whether they were skills or just dumb luck.

After five more minutes of waiting, five minutes nearly on the dot, a message popped up on my screen- a message I'd never expected in a million years.

 **PINK_BOW87:** Think you forgot an alternate chorus.

I stared at the message in shock before another message popped up on the screen to shock me even further.

 **PINK_BOW87:** If you found me, would I, could I, come back to you? If that stupid, funny head you got on your shoulders only knew that there's no way in hell I'd 've ever left you is if you told me to, so I'll come back, come back, come back…to you.

I smiled at the screen before her calling message interrupted my celebration.

I'd done it. I'd won her back. Somehow, I'd done it.

And I wasn't ever going to lose her again.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading this fic guys, it was great fun! And thank you to Arnold's Love who inspired this entire thing. You rock girlie!**_

 _ **Please review my lovelies! Thank you again for all your support. I wouldn't even be writing if it weren't for all of you. Much love!**_

 _ **-Polka**_

 _ **PS- next project is Dentin' the Do, so keep an eye out folks!**_


	4. The Change of Perspectives

_**So due to a request and the nonstop thoughts in my mind, I have updated again, but in Helga's POV. This is a really great short chapter which I'm really proud of for some reason. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 *****HELGA*****

I stared dumbfounded at my computer after watching what I _thought_ was going to be some dumb video Arnold made.

But boy was I wrong.

It was a song. A song that expressed his deep love for me and how he wanted me back. Now _that_ wasn't something that I was expecting; not expecting at all.

How did I respond? I didn't want to sound too eager. I mean, I'd been practically waiting for this moment for two entire years but I was thousands of miles away from the kid. How would we make it work? _Would_ it even work? Why was I worrying so much anyway?

Because I was still hopelessly in love with the boy, that's why.

Half of me wanted to never talk to him again. Half of me still held him responsible for the hell I had to go through because of his breaking up with me. I wanted to scream at him and ask why after all this time he decided to change his mind.

But then there was that other half of me— the other half that wanted so desperately to be with him that I didn't even care about how much I'd hurt in the past. I was willing to look the other way and forget the hurt he'd put me through just for this second chance.

Maybe because he finally realized he loved me too.

And that was when my own words began pouring out.

I listened to the song again, catching onto the chorus he'd written so beautifully to express his feelings. I studied it, went over it and began to scribble down words on my notepad that was sitting just beside my laptop. Then, with nervous fingers, I typed my response.

 **PINK_BOW87:** Think you forgot an alternate chorus.

Quickly, I typed in the words I'd written down onto the screen and with bold ambition, I clicked 'send.'

I waited impatiently as he read my words. I could hear them in his chorus' tune and I knew I'd made the right decision.

Still feeling scared and slightly anxious, I re-read the words I'd typed in my last ditch effort to let Arnold take me back; to let us start over once more.

 **PINK_BOW87:** If you found me, would I, could I come back to you? If that stupid, funny head you got on your shoulders only knew, that there's no way in hell I'd 've ever left you is if you told me to, so I'll come back, come back, come back… to you.

His response was quick to reply in the form of a video chat which I opened almost immediately.

"So?" I asked as he repeated the same question in unison with me.

I looked down at my lap as we both chuckled at the coincidence and I allowed myself to go first.

"You know, Arnold," I said with a somber tone, "you really hurt me that day. The day you broke up with me."

"Yeah," he said with a sad voice, "I may not have realized it until too late, but I really hurt myself too. I was stupid."

"Yes Shortman, you were," I said rather bluntly before sighing and asking the question we both were probably asking ourselves. "So how are we gonna make this work then? I see you on weekends and you see me sometimes? We could switch off, even though my parents are super a-holes and all they wouldn't care if you came over." I smirked to myself. "Hell, they probably wouldn't even notice. Bob's always at the Castle and Miriam is always, well, Miriam."

Arnold laughed to himself for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "It doesn't matter to me how we do it as long as we do."

"Really?" I asked, my guard falling down once more in only a way Arnold knew how to do.

"Really," he stated, his voice suddenly serious and I could feel the blood rushing up to my cheeks.

"I uh, I love you, Arnold."

He smiled and adjusted himself in his seat so I could see him better. "I love you too, Helga. Very much."

They were words I'd longed to hear for so long that they pierced my skin and went deep into my very core.

I loved Arnold, and he finally realized how much he loved me too. We were back together.

And at last, after two horrible years, all was right with the world. At least enough for today.

* * *

 _ **Please review! Hope you liked the story! And thank you again for the support!**_

 _ **-Polka**_


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